Fire extinguishing apparatus



Aug; 7, 1945,

F. J. LEE

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Ju1y'21, 194s Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y ,2,381,606l FIRE XTINGUISHING APPARATUS FloydJ. Lee, La Habra, Calif., assignor ofonehalf to J. Leonard Hull, Los Angeles, Calif. Application July 21, 1943,` Serial No. 495,586 `3 Claims. (o1. 16e- 32)` This invention relates to a reextinguishing apparatus of the class in which the contents of the extinguisher are intended to rbe expelled by gas pressure generated within the apparatus by chemical reaction.

Gas pressure Ais generated within suchextinguishers by chemical reaction between an alkali carbonate, such as sodium bicarbonate, and an acid, `such as either sulphuric acid or formic acid. For the proper operation of the fire extinguisher it is necessary that the chemical reactions occur at a proper rate. Furthermore, since these `extinguishers arefrequently stored for along period of time before occasion arises for their use, it is necessary that the chemicals employed be stable on storage and also that they be adequately sealed fom each other and from the aqueous phase of the extinguisher. the extinguisher be provided Witha simple, reliable, and elective means -for mixing the chem-v icals together and with the aqueous contents of the extinguisher when it is desired to operate the extinguisher.

It is a general` object of the present invention to provide a ilre extinguishing apparatus which is capable of holding gas-generating chemicals in vsuch a manner that they will not deteriorate in storage, which apparatus contains a very simple, reliable, and effective means for'insuring operation of the extinguisher when desired.

` In the past, chemical re extinguishers have been constructed in whichv either the acid or the alkali carbonate are dissolved in the water of the extinguisher, and the otherchemical, i. e., alkali carbonate or acid, held Within some frangible container which is intended to be broken to-in stigate the operation of the extinguisher.

V:l5-ire extinguishing apparatus is provided which includes a container for holdingv the chemicals in a moisture-sealed condition, separate from the Water of the extinguisher. n"Said container also includes means by which the .acid is maintained separate from the carbonate material.

An important element of the nre extinguishing apparatus vof the present invention is present in the means and mannerein which gas-generating chemicals are mixed together `and with the Water Itis further necessarythat` I have l, found that in order to insure reliable operation i tinguisher.

.said seal.

guisher.

of the extinguisher. It is desirable that the gas pressure be built up suddenly in the extinguishery and it is also desirable that the chemicals be thoroughly admixed with the water of the ex` These objects are best accomplished by first permitting the acid and carbonate material to contact together Within the container of the chemicals While said container is sealed ofi from the body of the extinguisher. In this way, the generation, of gas is instigated before any operation of the extinguisher. The vseal of the container of the chemicals separating `the chemicals from the body of the extinguisher is designed to be suddenly broken `to .obtain a rapid injection of the chemicals into the aqueous contents of the container.

laccomplished by relying upon the gas` pressure generated within the chemical container bursting Any attempts to cut or otherwise open the chemical container so as to provide communication with the body of the extinguisher `by means other than the pressure of the gas generated by the chemicals has proved comparatively unreliable and unsatisfactory in practice. Accordingly, the extinguisher of the present invention is made to include a container for the chemicals, which container is provided with a seal for closing off the chemicals from contact with the contents of the body of the container, which sealv is soarranged and constructed that the gas pressure generated within the container may burstr the seal and cause a rapid injection of the chem-v icals into the .body of the extinguisher.

Animportant feature of the present invention resides "in the fact that a firevextinguishing unit isprovided which contains all of the necessary chemicals and operating mechanism for forming a new and efficient lire extinguishing apparatus` by-inserting it into the shell of any re extin- Fire extinguishig units which form a part of the present invention are-capable of being added to any old re extinguisher body.

The re extinguishing apparatus of the present invention will be more completely understood from` the following description of ther preferred form and example of apparatus embodying the invention. vFor this purpose, I have described a ypreferred example ofthe invention in *connec-v tion with the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure v1 is an elevatonin vertical section.

In this manner, the pres-` sure within the extinguisher is built up more rapber I6.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus is there illustrated as comprising an extinguisher body 2 of any usual or preferred form which forms a container for extinguishing fluid. An important feature of the present invention is that any old re extinguisher body may be employed as a container for the apparatus of thepresentinvention. The nreextinguishing body '2 is indicated as having an outlet nipple 3 for attachment to a hose and a threaded neck 4, to which is attached a cap 5. The rire extinguishing unit 6 of the present invention includes a cylindrical shell l, which cylindrical shell I- have found Cri tion shatters the cover I6 of the acid bottle and allows the acid to intermix with the carbonate material 2I, which fills the upper half of the unit 6. Preferably above the acid bottle, I provide a light cylindrical frame 22 holding a cloth gauze 23 in order to hold the carbonate material from contact with the acid container I2. Within the body 2 of the apparatus there is supplied water or.. other iluid to be propelledl from; the extingu'isller :'inpoperation. ,Included liquids which may be used in the extinguisher of the `present invention are various types of foamcan be formed quite satisfactorily from plastic materials. In case the shell l isy formed of plastic material, it may be desirable to line the inside of the shell with wax in order to increase the moisture-proof properties thereof. The bottom of the shell y'I is closed by a disc 8, which isv molded to the shell 1 in the operation of pro-` ducing the shell. Theidisc '8 may, if desired, be formed of wood. The top yof the shell l' is closed by a top member v9, .which is provided -with a somewhat narrow llange I0, to which the shell l issealed. The top member 9 `is, separated from the shell 1 during the operation of molding the'v shell and is installed in Yposition'only after-the contents of the shell have been inserted The construction thus provided, upon generation ofgas pressure within the shell 1 the entire top of the shell is adapted to be blown off, openingthe top of the shell (which is the bottom of the device in the operating position) to permit rapid ejection of thefchemicals into the lbody of the container 2.

The top .9 is provided with a plurality of pointed set screws II, by means vof which the unit 16 is adapted tovbe suspended from the neck 4 of the body 2. An adjustment of the position of the pointed screws II enable the unit. 6 to be `suspended within the units having considerable range of diameter of neck'openings.

The lower ha'lfof the shell 1 is lindicated as.

occupied by a frangible acid container I2, which acid container is preferably formed ofvhard and brittle wax. The acid containerrlfZ has an outer cylindrical wall I3, an annular bottom wall I4, and an innerfcylindrical wall I15,1with a topmemcentral bore, the lower portion of which is occupied by a weight I1. The weight I1-ts slida'bly within the bore formed by the wall t5, and is` provided with a pin I8 `at its lower endzfrictionally engaging an opening lI! in the bottom member 8. The top member I6 of theiacid con--A tainer is likewiseforrned chiefly of afbrittle hard the weight -Ili-will be released. and dropped.- through-'the bore provided by A.the wall I5, .strik-` ing the .cover :I6 of. the ,'acid. `bottle.. This.. opera- The inner cylindrical wall IE'denes a' forming materials.

The re'extinguishing apparatus of the pres ent invention may be stored indenitely without danger of deterioration, since the chemicals are adequately separated from each other and protected against all deteriorating influences. Whenever it is desired to operate the apparatus, it is merely necessary to invert the apparatus. Only a substantially complete inversion of 'the 'apparatus will `cause the apparatus to operate,- since the pin I8 will frictionally 'hold 1the'weight Ilv from dropping, except ina substantially inv verted and vertical position. When theweight is= released to fracturethe acid bottle, the carbonate fand acid'flrst react while separated from: the co-ntentsof the container 2. Thefgasisgen erated until the-pressure bursts vthesleal 26.- Ay tme'interval in the order off one second onlyiis required .forthe seal I f to beburst Uponfburstl in'gof the seal 26,:the gas :generated causes the extinguisher iso-start immediatelydelivering its' contents'at high pressure. v f v `An important' advantage' of. `the extinguisher of thepresent. invention is that it eliminates.and makesunessential much-of the operating mechanism heretofore included .chemica1extin-xl guishers, which operatingI mechanismalways is: subject to possible Adeterioration on: standing, rendering the extinguisher unreliablein operation. x

While, the particular form .or frre .extinguishing apparatus herein described is Well a'daptedwto carryzout the objects of the present invention,..it is -to be understood that 'ther vinvention iscapable of being embodied inmany otherformaand the. invention is .not limited to the specific extin-. guisher shown, but is =of1 the :scope .fsetrorth inthe accompanying claims. .i

Iclaim: x i .i

1. Alire extinguishing apparatus whichwcomprisesatubular container member `having a clo. sure at its upper end, .and-.having -arupturable seal between'..theclosuremember and-.the itubu-f. lar member, an annular frangible bottlentor con.- l taining acid within saidtube but` occupying but a portion vof :the length of. said tube, means above saidacid containingbottle to permit :carbonate material to beheld inSaid tube above saidfbtf` tle, .a 4weight slidablev through saidbottle inlbottlebreaking operations, the carbonate material, ,and acid being operative-when mixed for' generation, of suflicientgas pressure to. burst said rupturable. seal between said tube and said closure-meIixber.` v `2. A lire extinguishing apparatus whichcornprises a tubular container member having@ v cloi sure at its upper end, and haying a rupturable. seal between ythe closure .member land the .tubuy* lar memben-a frangible bottle lfor containing vacid within said tubular member fbut voccupying bu-ta, portion of said tubularirrlenrzlber,` means Within said tubular member to permiticarbonate material to `be held Iin a ,portion of, sad-gtubularmeml. ber and to exclude the lsame -troma portion of.,r said.4 ytubular member, and weight Slideble .r

through said latter portion in bottle-breaking operations, the carbonate and acid being operative when mixed for generation of suii'icient gas pressure to burst said rupturable seal between said i tubular member and said closure member.

3. A unit for a re extinguishing apparatus, said unit including a tubular container member having a closure at its upper end, and having a rupturable seal between the closure member and the tubular member, a frangible bottle for containing acid Within said tubular member but occupying but a portion of the length of said tubular member, means Within said tubular mem- 

